counterattack

noun

coun·​ter·​at·​tack ˈkau̇n-tər-ə-ˌtak 

variants or counter-attack

plural counterattacks or counter-attacks

: an attack made in response to or in defense against an attack made by another

a series of attacks and counterattacks

Iraqi forces are advancing into the city of Fallujah, repelling a counter-attack by the Islamic State militant group (ISIS) on Tuesday …

—Jack Moore

counterattack

ˌkau̇n-tər-ə-ˈtak 

verb, transitive + intransitive

or counter-attack

counterattacked or counter-attacked; counterattacking or counter-attacking

Syrian rebels including jihadists counter-attacked the army and its allies on Friday aiming to break a weeks-long siege on eastern Aleppo, insurgents said.

—Ellen Francis and Angus McDowall

counterattacker

ˌkau̇n-tər-ə-ˈta-kər 

noun

or counter-attacker

plural counterattackers or counter-attackers

Finally, the big man, bleeding profusely, succeeded in throwing his counterattacker off him.

—Andrew M. Greeley

Synonyms

• counterassault
• counteroffensive
• counterpunch
• counterstrike

Examples of counterattack in a Sentence

suddenly the tide of battle turned, and the rebels, who had been falling back, made a furious counterattack

Recent Examples on the Web

Under heavy attack from North Vietnamese forces, Rogers was wounded three times but continued directing artillery fire and leading counterattacks until the enemy was repelled. —David Faris, Newsweek, 17 Mar. 2025

The party is in a rut, stumbling on finding the most effective counterattack to Trump's full-bore assault on the federal bureaucracy. —Axios, 5 Mar. 2025

The plan to recapture Savannah failed, but soldiers from Saint-Domingue helped stave off a British counterattack. —Danielle Amir Jackson, The Atlantic, 27 Feb. 2025

Ukrainian troops in the past two weeks have managed to launch successful counterattacks on Russian positions around Pokrovsk, recapturing some ground. —Patrick Reevell, ABC News, 10 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1800, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for counterattack

• ammoniac
• biofeedback
• demoniac
• elegiac
• noncardiac
• paranoiac
• aback
• anzac
• attack
• backpack
• backtrack
• bareback

Kids Definition

counterattack

noun

coun·​ter·​at·​tack

ˈkau̇nt-ə-rə-ˌtak

: an attack made to counter an enemy's attack

counterattack verb